Russia has put Alexei Navalny's grieving widow Yulia on a wanted list, accusing her of participating in an 'extremist' group.

An arrest warrant was issued for Yulia Navalnaya by Russia today. A court said it had 'approved the request of the investigators and decided a preventive measure in the form of detention for two months'.

It comes just five months after Yulia's husband Alexei Navalny, Russian leader Vladimir Putin 's main opponent, died in an Arctic prison in February and she vowed to continue his work.

She has slammed the warrant in a statement, saying: 'Vladimir Putin is a killer and a war criminal. He belongs in prison'. The activist's team also dismissed the allegations.

Yulia Navalnaya 'was arrested (in absentia!) for 'being a member of an extremist community' by the infamous Basmanny court of Moscow,' wrote Leonid Volkov, Navalny's former chief of staff, on X.

'Quite a recognition of Yulia's determination to continue Alexei's fight!' he added. Alexei Navalny's organizations have been outlawed in Russia, labeled an 'extremist' group and put on an official 'terrorist' list.

Yulia Navalnaya, an economist, stood by her husband as he galvanized mass protests in Russia, flying him out of the country when he was poisoned before defiantly returning to Moscow with him in 2021, knowing he would be jailed.

Following his death, Yulia vowed to take up her late husband's work and has lobbied against Putin's government from abroad.

During Russian elections in March, Yulia called for mass protests against Putin by forming long queues outside voting stations.

Want more stories like this from the Daily Mail? Visit our profile page and hit the follow button above for more of the news you need.